Webb's View of M64 (September 16, 2026)
September 16, 2026 6:51am
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2026-09-16 is titled "Webb's View of M64." The release is published as a image and pairs imagery with an official science...
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2026-09-16 is titled "Webb's View of M64." The release is published as a image and pairs imagery with an official science explainer from NASA. The post highlights a specific observable scene and provides technical context for why the view matters.
5-Second Takeaway
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2026-09-16 is titled "Webb's View of M64." The release is published as a image and pairs imagery with an official science explainer from NASA.
Why This Matters
The post highlights a specific observable scene and provides technical context for why the view matters.
What Changed
- NASA published this Astronomy Picture of the Day on 2026-09-16.
- The item title is Webb's View of M64 and the media type is image.
- The image and caption describe observable features highlighted in this release.
- NASA's accompanying explanation provides observation context and interpretation notes.
- Caption excerpt: Sometimes where Hubble finds darkness, Webb sees light. An example is today’s composite images of Messier 64 (M64), a nearby spiral galaxy of many names. The dark band of dust partially blocking its bright core earned it the moniker “the Black Eye Galaxy.” Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) sees that dust, shown in red, as it absorbs and re-emits light from surrounding newborn stars. These young stars are embedded in pink star-forming regions in the secondary Hubble-only image. M64’s inner and outer gas regions counter-rotate, creating regions of increased star formation where the two gas “currents” meet and compress. A merger between M64 and a smaller galaxy was likely the cause of the opposing motion of the outer gas. Spiral galaxies were once thought to have peaceful histories. M64 was key evidence that spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way, can and do experience mergers. Webb’s
- Full mission and image details are available in the official APOD entry.
- NASA APOD page: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2609/M64_Webb_1024.jpg
- NASA open API portal: https://api.nasa.gov/
Key Facts
- NASA published this Astronomy Picture of the Day on 2026-09-16.
- The item title is Webb's View of M64 and the media type is image.
- The image and caption describe observable features highlighted in this release.
- NASA's accompanying explanation provides observation context and interpretation notes.
Key Numbers
- NASA published this Astronomy Picture of the Day on 2026-09-16.
- Caption excerpt: Sometimes where Hubble finds darkness, Webb sees light. An example is today’s composite images of Messier 64 (M64), a nearby spiral galaxy of many names. The dark band of dust partially blocking its bright core earned it the moniker “the Black Eye Galaxy.” Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) sees that dust, shown in red, as it absorbs and re-emits light from surrounding newborn stars. These young stars are embedded in pink star-forming regions in the secondary Hubble-only image. M64’s inner and outer gas regions counter-rotate, creating regions of increased star formation where the two gas “currents” meet and compress. A merger between M64 and a smaller galaxy was likely the cause of the opposing motion of the outer gas. Spiral galaxies were once thought to have peaceful histories. M64 was key evidence that spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way, can and do experience mergers. Webb’s
- NASA APOD page: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2609/M64_Webb_1024.jpg